Many people enjoy hot tubs or spas for relaxation, and possibly for rehabilitation. A spa or hot tub is generally a small swimming pool that contains water into which a person(s) submerges part or all of their body. There are many shapes and sizes of such spas and many features such as controls, jets for emitting water towards those who are within the water within the spa, waterfalls, etc.
Indifferent to the size, shape, and features of such existing spas, when a spa is located in a location that is exposed to the sun during daylight hours, the users of such spas are exposed to sunlight. As users often stay in the spa for hours, this exposure to sunlight for such long periods of time create a risk of sunburn, as it is not desirable to wear sunscreen in the water as it will contaminate and discolor the water and possibly cause filter and/or plumbing issues within the spa. Further, limiting exposure to the sun is recommended, especially for those with fair skin. Existing spas do not provide a way to block any amount of sunlight during daylight hours.
Further, those spas that are exposed to sunlight during the daytime are also exposed to the elements at any time, for example when it rains, hails, sleets, snows, etc. Although the occupants of the spa are wet from the water within the spa, it is often uncomfortable to have precipitation fall onto the head of the occupants.
Another issue with existing spas relates to entry and exiting to/from the spa. Often, the molded interior shape of the spa shell includes a step-like feature that is used to exit from the water within the spa. Being that the wall height of a typical spa is often two to three feet high, once a user of the spa climbs up this step within the spa shell, they must extend a leg over the spa shell wall and onto the ground surface that is maybe two to three feet below where the user is standing. This creates a high level of imbalance, leaning the user away from the spa. Such imbalance is especially dangerous as the ground surface onto which the user steps is typically painted wood or tile that gets slippery when it is wet.
Still yet another issue with existing spas relates to the enjoyment of food and beverage while one is within the water within the spa. Many people enjoy a beverage such as beer, wine, water, coffee, etc., while sitting in the water within the spa. Many existing spas provide one or more cup holders on upper edge of the spa shell and often offer no place to rest a bag of chips, a bowl of fruit, a plate of cheese, etc. Being that the cup holders are on the upper edge of such spa shells and the users typically sit with their backs toward the upper edge of the spa shells, the cup holders are located substantially behind the users. It is often difficult to twist around and retrieve a drink that is located behind the user, adding to the danger of slipping and hitting one's head in the spa. Further, locating the drink near and behind the user increases the risk of the drink getting knocked out of the cup holders.
If the spa is not heavily occupied by many users, one often makes use of a distant cup holder, perhaps on the opposite side of the spa shell. This reduces the risk of knocking over the drink/cup, but requires that the user maneuver across the spa to retrieve the drink, adding to the danger of slipping and hitting one's head . . . .
What is needed is a spa design that includes an umbrella holder to reduce exposure of spa occupants to sunlight during daylight hours.